Track & Field divides and conquers

Truman State University’s track and field team, though victorious in many ways, often fell just short of the gold in their two events this weekend.

Fourteen members of the team went to the Jayhawks Classic at University of Kansas on Friday, while the rest of the team headed north to Central College in Pella, Iowa, for Saturday’s Dutch Athletics Classic.

Several Bulldogs ranked at the Jayhawks Classic, but only junior Cassidy Smestead walked away with something more. Smestead took third in the shot put event, and her 44-05.25 throw exceeded the provisional standard for qualification to the NCAA National Indoor meet in March. She now ranks 30th in Div. II for the shot put.

Meanwhile, at the Dutch Athletics Classic, the Bulldogs won 11 total events, multiple of which involved Bulldogs taking both first and second place. Freshmen Carson Lackey and Daijha Wilkes and junior Taylor Burlis were the Bulldogs’ multi-event winners of the day, each taking home two first place victories. Truman took an overall second place at the event behind the host team from Central College.

The Bulldogs reunite to return to Illinois College on Saturday for the Jim Green Classic.